Career change via MSC in Library and Information Studies - pipe dream or not?

January 17, 2007 10:48 AM

Considering doing an MSc in Library and Information Studies, and would appreciate people's views.

I have five years' experience in an information-related area - gathering and compiling statistics, report writing, policy - but no experience of library work apart from a summer job in 1992. I earn £24k and would want to earn more following the MSc.

I've looked at discussions of library careers on Metafilter (2004, 2005, Information Science) but have some specific questions and would also would appreciate UK perspectives.

My specific questions are: Is this realistic, or will I find it very difficult to get middle-level or senior library posts because I have no experience of library work? Some of the courses I'm looking at, but not all, are accredited by CILIP - should I consider this essential? And can anyone give me examples of the sort of topics people write about for their dissertations (have done some searching, but only found two and not sure how representative they are)? Finally, how wide is the "information Services" part of this sort of course - will it give me added value if I went for posts not too dissimilar from what I do now?

I'm asking this anonymously because my manager and colleagues read MF, but if there are questions I can usefully respond to will ask moderators to post for me.

posted by anonymous to education (7 comments total)

I'm enrolling in an M.L.S. and M.A. (History) dual degree program this fall, and have been working in libraries throughout my undergraduate career. If you pursue an MS, you will probably have to intern as part of the program, which will help with the lack of experience. I think your professional experience will help a lot with your eventual job search. In the US, it is essential that the program you enroll in be ALA accredited. Sorry that I can't provide a UK perspective!

In terms of earning potential, having two graduate degrees is helpful, which is why I'm doing pursuing that route. It often doesn't take too much longer, but it's not an option for many people. Perhaps you already have one.

As for dissertation topics, you might look at LIS academic journals for a glimpse into current debates and issues.
posted by zoey08 at 12:39 PM on January 17, 2007

I've been working professionally as a reference librarian for 6 years (in the U.S.), and have not found my lack of practical experience before getting my MLS to be a barrier to promotion so far.

RE: diss. topics - if you're near a university library, I recommend checking if they subscribe to ProQuest's Dissertations and Theses database - it's a great resource for seeing what types of scholarship are happening in a particular discipline, and contains full text of many recent MLS/MLIS dissertations.
posted by ryanshepard at 1:51 PM on January 17, 2007

You might get better answers from a UK perspective on Freepint (it's a site you should probably read anyway, if you are interested in this area).

Sue Hill recruitment might be a good place to look to see what sort of jobs are out there. (I have no connection with them).

CILIP accreditation would be a very very good idea - probably essential. I would guess that a CILP accredited course would also be ALA accredited.

Regarding getting a high level job: my experience (in New Zealand, not UK) is that public and academic libraries tend to require prior experience in those environments if you want a high or mid-level job. You might find more success in a corporate/special library, especially one where you could use your skills and experiences - something like current awareness/business intelligence/analysis. If you wanted to become a cataloguer or an academic reference librarian, you would probably be starting at a lower level.

Some degrees should be useful for finding similar work to what you do know - for example, my university had a course on business information sources, and much of the assessment in the degree was on real-life situations, such as writing reports, so it may help you develop your skills in this area.
posted by Infinite Jest at 2:57 PM on January 17, 2007

Speaking from an North American perspective, I would not consider getting a degree from a non-ALA accredited institution, so I would think CILIP accreditation holds true for the UK.
posted by Razzle Bathbone at 4:18 PM on January 17, 2007

Oh, meant to add this as well.

Having a background in a specific area or subject tends to help you but definitely does not limit you. I have a History degree and have been a Comp Sci and Engineering librarian and now a Systems Librarian. Often you will see postings calling for X Degree preferred, but not essential. It will be more about your professional abilities, not your subject specific background.
posted by Razzle Bathbone at 4:28 PM on January 17, 2007

I can only speak directly about the Canadian library scene, but I suspect what I say will apply to the UK and US: it is unlikely that you will be hired directly into a library management position without any library experience. Obviously there may be exceptions but I suspect they would hold only if you had an MBA from a prestigious university, for example.

Because library science is a frequently a second career choice, it is not uncommon for individuals with years of related but non-library experience be hired in entry-level positions.
posted by copystar at 4:38 AM on January 18, 2007

I've been a librarian/information professional for most of my working life (20+ years). I love what I do; there are so many options as to what you can do with what you learn about information management and dissemination. My background is unusual, I have a Bachelors in Library Science and went then for my Masters; many people that work in non-academic or public libraries, especially within the last 10-15 years, tend to have at least one degree in another discipline.

You might want to look at the SLA (Special Libraries Association) (http://www.sla.org) and the American Libraries Association (http://www.ala.org) websites to get a better sense of all of the possibilities and potential use of your skills, once learned.

I love what I do; I love to read and learn and believe, that with this profession, that I get to do so on "someone else's nickle". You also should know that your salary will depend on what type of information career you prepare for; in some cases, such as academic and public libraries, unless you are in high-level management, the salary cannot compete with, say a career in IT; I think this is something you really have to love.
posted by schoenbc at 1:42 PM on January 21, 2007